Riders On the Storm - The Doors (1971)
Our LCM Classic this week is one of my favourite all-time songs by The Doors. It was the last song recorded by the members of The Doors, as well as Jim Morrison's last recorded song to be released. The single entered the US Hot 100 on 3 July 1971, the day that Jim died.
The song, according to an interview with Ray Manzerek was only performed live 2 times, on The L.A. Woman tour at The Warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 12, 1970 and in Dallas the night before that. Ray said playing those songs were "magic". This was The Doors' last public performance with Jim Morrison. It was only the second date of the tour, but was also the last, as the tour was cancelled after this concert.
The band took its name from the title of Aldous Huxley's book The Doorsof Perception, which itself was a reference to a William Blake quotation, from his famous work The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite"
Jim (aka Mr. Mojo Risin') born in Florida, the son of a famous Admiral, was a resident of Laurel Canyon. He lived above the Canyon Store. The rest of the band keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger also lived in the Canyon.